Tell us a bit about your company, The Colour Closet The Colour Closet is a small post production lab offering dailies, colour finishing, online editing, deliverables packaging and archiving services to a wide range of clientele. The Colour Closet is myself on colour and online editorial duties with assistance and vfx support from the wonderful talent pool here in Vancouver. In 2013, after many years (decades) as a camera assistant and DIT I started The Colour Closet with the support of DP’s and Directors I knew from shows like Man in the High Castle, Bates Motel, and Lucifer. We provide the same online, colour, and deliverables services that large labs do but at a smaller volume. It’s an environment where art, technology and commerce exist in balance whether it’s a low budget passion project or an HDR finish for a scripted series.
What projects are you working on right now and/or recently completed?
I’m working on a Fortis campaign called The New Energy and a thirteen part documentary series for Bell media/APTN. I’m also developing looks for two features that will finish early next year. I recently finished a reality TV series, a VR360 art installation, an NFB film, and the short “Never Broken” that was selected to the NY International Short Film festival.
What is a favourite project that you've worked on, and why? Generally speaking what makes me the happiest is the variety of projects I get to work on. Frontier for Netflix/Discovery Canada is at the top of the list as it was my first foray into finishing colour thanks to the support of DP Glen Keenan CSC (Star Trek) who I’d worked for as a DIT many times. I built the dailies lab, trained a local DIT, developed a look for the show and provided the finishing colour. It was nominated for best cinematography at the Canadian Screen Awards that year so a reasonable result!
What percentage of your work is with local vs international clients/projects? Almost all of my work is for Canadian productions or American productions with post roots in Vancouver. Something I know everyone would like to see more of!
Are you a Mac / PC / Linux shop or all of the above? All of the above. The right amount of horsepower where needed to easily meet deadlines and make sessions flow is the goal. Playback and rendering (GPU’s) and system bandwidth are most important to me but some processes just need specific platforms. Keeping up with tech is a big part of being able to compete with other shops so I do my research and settle on components that offer the best bang for buck over the long term and leverage cloud services where it makes sense. However, I would say I’m a little cautious of the Mac ecosystem recently.
What software / hardware / plugins can you not live without? Blackmagic DaVinci Resolve on a dedicated all-powerful PC is my workhorse. I have a 200TB NAS that runs on TrueNAS that I love and it’s rock solid and I’ve embraced the cloud and cloud services for things like 3rd party QC and Tachyon frame rate conversions. Boris FX Silhouette is my favorite plugin. It has tools for tracking, masking/roto, retouching/paint, stabilizing, and object removal and interfaces with Resolve with very little hassle.
What impact did the pandemic have on your business? It has been challenging! Several clients basically shut down mid shoot which meant a loss of work and a need to re-organize on my part. Luckily, I was asked to provide dailies for Pachinko which was a great experience and filled a gap. Small owner-operator businesses with few employees found little support and I’m lucky to still be here but I’m stubborn so that helps! I see the future as more of a remote/ in-person mix and that’s ok although I prefer being in the same room when you screen a show.
How long have you been a VPA Corporate Member? Almost 2 years.The VPA plays an important role in my business staying informed and all the effort is very appreciated.
Is there anything else about you or your company that you'd like people to know about that we haven't yet asked? I started my career shooting film in the French Alps so I’m a pushover for ski movies. The Nespresso is always ready for visitors.
Cindy Au Yeung is a Chinese-Canadian editor and filmmaker based in Vancouver, BC. She has worked in post production for the past 7 years and has been a 1st Assistant Editor on various documentaries such as I AM JOHNNY CASH and scripted television series such as DATE MY DAD, HIT THE ROAD, LOUDERMILK S3, and DAY OF THE DEAD.
Most recently, she has edited an APTN Lumi webseries SHADOW OF THE ROUGAROU, produced and edited a stand-up comedy series COMEDY INVASION, and is currently editing her first feature-length film, JONAH. On the side, Cindy also makes her own documentaries involved with #Elimin8hate, an organization dedicated to eliminating anti-Asian racism through the power of film, arts, and media. Nevertheless, documentaries will always remain as Cindy’s first love into filmmaking!
Originally from Nova Scotia, Gregor moved west with music as his main passion.
Following a BA in jazz studies from Capilano University, playing and touring with bands segued into composing which eventually lead to an interest in sound design and post production for film.
In 2010 Gregor started Cinescope Sound, a boutique facility that serviced a broad array of feature films, TV series and documentaries.
In 2020 his company merged with Bionic Audio to form Maverick Post Group, a new facility built from the ground up to serve the needs of the Vancouver industry and beyond.
As a re-recording mixer and supervising sound editor Gregor is also involved in the day to day operations of running a full service post facility.
Vancouver has an incredible wealth of talent and Gregor welcomes the opportunity to play a role in advocating for this community as we continue to grow and push for new opportunities.
Caleb is a composer and musician. With an aptitude to create music that reaches diverse audiences, his range of work spans from independent projects and short films, to televised series and theatrical features. Frequently writing with his brother Brian, their work has been featured on many notable animated and live-action projects, including recent series with DreamWorks and Netflix.
Caleb has called Vancouver home since immigrating from Hong Kong in 1997 and holds a Master of Music Composition degree from the University of Toronto. He is pleased to join the VPA board to serve the growing industry in the city.
A native Canadian with an early interest in television, Keri began her career as a PA on the sets of productions shooting in Vancouver. Connecting with Spike & Mike’s Festival of Animation led to a focus in animation, and a move to Los Angeles, where she landed on the pilot of The Simpsons and began a diverse career in producing and supervising post production and visual effects. With over 200 hours of network and cable television credits, career highlights include four seasons of Ugly Betty, The Outer Limits, 12 Monkeys, The Crossing, and more recently Ted Lasso and Big Sky.
Keri has developed many relationships working both on the creative and technical side of production and post, and is happiest when connecting talented people with others who share her passion for storytelling. She recently settled back home in Vancouver with her daughter Emelia, and joined the exceptional team of artists at Barnstorm Visual Effects.
Keri is a proud member of the Vancouver Post Alliance Board, Women in Animation, The Producers Guild of America, The Leo Awards Board, The Visual Effects Society and the Animation & VFX Alliance of BC.
Don’s Post Production experience includes work as a Facility Owner/Executive, Post Supervisor and Editor for over 30 years with Finale Post (Picture Shop Vancouver) and its related companies. His credits include a wide range of feature, television, commercials, music videos, and cutting-edge documentaries.
He is actively involved in the Production and Post Production community in Vancouver, and frequently travels to LA for industry relations, marketing and sales initiatives with the major studios, networks and production companies.
Don currently sits on the Board of the Motion Picture Production Industry Association (MPPIA), the Motion Picture Arts & Sciences Foundation of British Columbia (Leo Awards), is a Founding Director of the Vancouver Post Alliance (VPA), Founder of the Vancouver Creative Lounge, and past Chair of the Whistler Film Festival.
He is also proud of the recent work he is doing as a member of the BC Motion Picture Industry COVID-19 Best Practices Coalition and as Chair of the BC Post Production Health & Safety Task Force.
Don is passionate about seeing Vancouver’s post production community reach its full potential, and looks forward to continuing to contribute to the success of its workforce and facilities.
Michelle has been working in Vancouver’s Post Production division for the past 18+ years. She started her career working in Master Control at a local television network which threw her into the fast-paced live on-air world. After 8 years she moved onto Senior Project Management at Finale Post (Pictureshop Vancouver) and Encore (Company 3). She is currently working on the client side as a Post Coordinator/Supervisor.
Michelle prides herself on her strong work ethic and excellent management skills. This array of roles has given her a top down view of her surroundings and allows her to work in all departments of a post-productions pipeline.
Michelle’s passion is raising her 4 year old son and seeing the world through his eyes.
Buket is a Post Coordinator/Supervisor who draws on her experience from working across multiple departments of Post Production for over 15 years.
Her interest in post started in the first year of university, when she followed her passion in picture and sound editing as well as post supervising. After freelancing and managing an award-winning sound studio in her hometown of Istanbul, she moved to Vancouver in 2013, where she has since worked on a wide range of projects both in management and editorial teams. Her most recent work is the first season of Snowpiercer.
Buket’s journey with the VPA began in 2015 when she volunteered for the Events Committee and joined the VPA board in 2018. During her time as a director, she continued to work with events, support the Membership Committee, and was an integral forming member of the Mentorship Committee as well as the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Buket understands that the VPA provides a much-needed platform for our community to stay connected. As our growing community is becoming more and more diverse every day, she believes it is important to create equal opportunities for all genders, ages, ethnicities and abilities. She has a passion for promoting engagement with a more diverse community and giving voice to those who deserve greater representation.
Kelsy Wittmann has spent the past 20 years immersed in the film and television industry. She has had the privilege of working across the broad spectrum our industry has to offer; as a producer for live action, animation, and VFX projects. She is proud to have collaborated with clients such as Netflix, Marvel, EA, HBO, Paramount, and the local Atomic Cartoons. Her credit list includes high profile film projects such as Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Fast & Furious 7, 50 Shades of Grey and TV favourites such as Johnny Test, The Mist, The Order S2, and Wu Assassins. She is currently working hard at Animism Studios; where she is the Head of Production. Kelsy is a proud enabler of creative talent and technical innovators.
When Trevor isn’t finding the magic in film footage from other film projects, he’s filming his own. Trevor is an award winning filmmaker who has vast editing experience in both feature films and television. He continues to shape his editing style through genre, action and drama films. Wherever you are located, Trevor can execute your project while keeping collaboration intact. Among his many career highlights Trevor has worked with editor Dede Allen (Breakfast Club, Dog Day Afternoon, Bonnie and Clyde). In addition to working on the membership committee with the Vancouver Post Alliance, Trevor also serves as the British Columbia chair for CCE (Canadian Cinema Editors).
A native of Toronto, Sabrina moved out to Vancouver to attend UBC’s film production program. After earning her BFA, she landed her first job in the industry working in Post Production back in 2006 and has since risen to become an established, award-winning Picture Editor within the film community.
When she’s not glued to her computer, she sidelines as a voice actor for cartoons as well!
Kerry McDowall has been involved in Vancouver’s post-production sector for almost 20 years, working closely with Netflix, Disney, CBC, AMC Studios and NBCUniversal. As an Associate Producer, she leads post production departments on both series television and feature length movies, overseeing everything from budgets to final deliveries (and everything that occurs in between).
She currently dedicates her time and energy at the VPA to uniting and promoting our talented post production community and advocating for equity and inclusion in the broader film industry.
Eli started his sound career at an independent radio station in Istanbul and forged an international career in audio post-production over a decade. He has been honoured with 5 awards and 4 nominations. He worked as a Supervising Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer on films that screened at international film festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlinale, Montreal, SXSW, and Sitges International Film Festival.
Eli holds a Diploma in Sound Engineering from SAE Sound Engineering School and a Master’s Degree in Sound Technologies from Bahcesehir University.
Besides his sound experience, he has been a part of grassroots organizations and advocacy groups about human rights and climate change for more than 15 years. He is the co-founder of a platform that aims to combat anti-Semitism. He believes in the importance of a collaborative community and has been volunteering with the VPA for 3 years.